Top Chef Cooks Up a Storm in Antigua

With just 25 detached cottage suites set around a secluded bay of beautiful white sand, Hermitage Bay in Antigua is a secluded and peaceful place to stay. A fabulous resort in its own right (it was voted one of the top 20 hotels in the 2008 Condé Nast Hot List), it now has a new jewel in its crown.

Executive Chef Dezi Banhan has just been announced as the overall winner of the 2008 International Foodservice Competition for the Caribbean and Mexico. The competition started with over 400 entries from chefs throughout the region.

Dezi was one of 24 top chefs who made it through to the finals in Mexico City. Cooking Appleton, Soy and Ginger Roast Pork Sirloin with Tomato and Raisin Chutney and Green Herb and Chilli Oil, he won the judges over and secured his victory.

Born in Jamaica, Dezi joined the team at Hermitage Bay two years ago from Carlisle Bay. In 2007 he won the Antigua Hotels And Tourist Association’s award for Chef of the Year. He also spent several years working at The Ritz-Carlton Rose Hall in Jamaica. His emphasis is on using the finest local and international produce to create international dishes with a unique Caribbean twist.

Dezi’s menus, which change daily, reflect eclectic cuisine and sample dishes include bacon-wrapped scallop with mashed eddoes and vegetables ribbons and Antiguan cockle linguine in white wine and tomato sauce. It’s a hands-on approach here and the chef and his team fish the cockles directly from a pond near the property. They also visit the local fishermen every morning to ensure they receive the freshest produce on the island to serve to guests.

You can dine a la carte in the restaurant overlooking the sweeping beach, or alternatively sit around the pool, bar or on the beach. The location is part of the magic but it is the cooking which steals the show.

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